Froch sees Mikkel Kessler rematch as a “50-50″ fight

By WBA
21/05/2013

Carl Froch ended today’s open workout at Nottingham city’s Old Market Square by telling his hometown fans that this Saturday’s rematch with Mikkel Kessler will be a keenly waged war of attrition that could be decided by the championship rounds. Froch meets Kessler at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night in a fight that will be show live on Sky Box Office.

Froch, 30-2 (22), is making the second defence of the IBF Super middleweight title that he ripped from Lucian Bute in May of last year, the WBA’s Super World title is also on the line due to Andre Ward’s recent inactivity. Froch, the former WBC titlist, has vowed to avenge his May 2010 decision defeat to the “Viking Warrior”, 46-2 (35), and add a WBA belt to his trophy cabinet to boot.

“I’m confident I’m going to win this fight — I know exactly how to beat Mikkel Kessler, but he’ll probably tell you the same,” said Froch when speaking to Sky Sports News. “I see this as a 50-50 fight — it is there for me to win, but it is there for me to lose as well. I’m going to do the job that Robert McCracken MBE, my coach, has been telling me to do, and I’ll get the job done in style.”

“When I turn up in the best possible physical shape, which I’m in now, then can he live with me? Late on, once the fight draws to the championship rounds, I’m not so sure he can,” added the 35-year-old. “I’m not going to let this guy beat me again, it is going to be tough, and it could be quite vicious and barbaric. We’re both real tough, strong warriors at the top of our game”

The Super World title was previously held by Andre Ward so, depending on who wins on Saturday, the governing body could try to line up a rematch with Ward for the winner of Saturday’s contest. It means that Ward, the division’s number one fighter, could find himself in the unusual position of challenging for a title he never lost in the ring and facing off against a champion that he has already handily beaten, so it will be business as usual as far as the WBA goes.